In Howard County, excellent ethnic restaurants pop up in so many unlikely spots that finding a good meal in a nondescript strip mall is no longer surprising. But that doesn't take away from the appreciation of the good food we enjoyed after dinner at Viet Pearl, which opened in Ellicott City in...

I mentioned to an acquaintance that I was reviewing Sip Wine & Dine, the new restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, a luxury condominium complex on Key Highway. He hadn't been, but his parents, who live at the Ritz-Carlton, had.

The best thing about Baltimore's recent explosion as a great food city is not the increase of excellent high-end restaurants. We love the fancy places, but to our minds, the biggest benefit is in the way the city's casual spots have upped their game.

The Owl Bar has been a notable tavern at The Belvedere, on and off, for 111 years. The place has had its ups and downs. It's been wildly popular and not at all. Twice, for about six years in early 1970s and for about 18 months in the early 1990s, the Owl Bar was closed entirely.